FT World Tech Founders

Aktau, on the Caspian Sea, is far from being a tech hub. Yet one entrepreneur from Kazakhstan is changing that For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Ghanaian tech entrepreneur Ethel Cofie on the advantages of simple and cheap innovation For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

A talent pool of women programmers has helped two entrepreneurs solve the tricky problem of finding a taxi to take civilians between Syria and Lebanon For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Bulgaria was once a centre for production of IT hardware for Soviet bloc countries. Now, as the tech hub of the Balkans, salaries are rising and more developers who moved away to earn better wages are returning home For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Dorcas Muthoni on the opportunities in Silicon Savannah and how to avoid corruption For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Conflict with Russia has not stopped a new crop of entrepreneurs finding funding, including Maxim Gerbut, the creator of the ultimate smart house For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Najla Al Midfa is teaching young people in the United Arab Emirates how to start and run their own businesses For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Poland has seen a surge in Ukrainian immigrant workers since fighting started in Ukraine in 2014. Among them are an increasing number of highly skilled migrants who are entering Poland’s technology industry. One of the start-up success stories is CallPage, which creates tools that help ecommerce companies increase sales by putting sales calls through to the people visiting their web pages. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

It is not a bad time to be a cryptocurrency business in the country at the moment, says Marina Guryeva, co-founder of Cyber Fund, since president Vladimir Putin has indicated he is unlikely to ban these activities. However, blockchain professionals are keeping a bag packed just in case. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Ammar Mardawi is discovering just how tricky it is to run an ebook business in the Middle East without customers being able to pay via electronic payments. FT contributor Burhan Wazir, met Mr Mardawi to find out more For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy